M-A girls’ wrestling three-peats

“This year being senior year, you’re already sad the season’s ending,” Akinola said. “So, instead of shedding tears, we’re just trying to enjoy every moment. … So, of course I’m out here smiling. I’m just trying to have fun.”

Akinola is accustomed to having fun in the CCS spotlight. The individual title is the senior’s fourth CCS crown in four years. And with it, she became the fourth M-A wrestler to top the podium Saturday at Independence High School.

Now the team will look to add one more chapter to its legacy, as M-A takes a program-record seven grapplers to the CIF State Wrestling Championships starting Thursday at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. The Bears took six wrestlers to the state tournament last year, and three in each 2016 and ’17.

Seniors Abby Ericson, Evelyn Calhoon and Lauren McDonnell also earned individual championships for the Bears. M-A senior Paola Ramirez (116s); senior Angie Bautista (126s); and junior Anna Smith (131s) each took second place to round out the team’s state-qualifying seven.

“I think we came in really hot to this tournament and I think we’re going to come in hot to state,” Ericson said. “I think we’re all going to crush it at state. I’m so excited.”

Ericson advanced to the championship match at 160s by virtue of two straight pins. She won her title match without having to take the mat as Salinas’ Erica Perez forfeited due to injury.

Akinola went 3-0 on the tournament, defeating Silver Creek junior Juliannah Bolli in the finals. The senior overcame a 3-2 deficit in the second round, but dominated from there.

“Sometimes matches don’t go the way you plan in your head,” Akinola said. “And you just have to wrestle through that.”

Calhoon didn’t waste any time in executing a first-round pin at 121s to claim her first career CCS championship. Last season, Calhoon took second place; when her 2018 title match ended, she thought she had won, but a post-match dispute led to a scoring change and reversed the outcome.

“That kid has deserved being in the finals every year she’s wrestled,” M-A head coach Phil Hoang said. “But this is finally, for her, just a matter of how much she wants it. As far as redemption, we don’t really think about like whether we lost last year or that we need to win this year. I’m happy for her.”

It took Calhoon just 34 seconds to pin Palo Alto senior Ashley Wang.

“You do with whatever your opponent gives you,” Calhoon said. “She gave me a gift and I just finished it.”

McDonnell had the busiest tournament, earning five wins at 137s. She was a perfect 5 for 5 in scoring pins, taking down Fremont sophomore Annie Hua in the second round of the championship match.

Six of M-A’s seven state qualifiers are seniors. The trip to Bakersfield will be the last official wrestling tournament of those seniors’ illustrious careers, as M-A shoots for the stars and its first-ever state team championship.

M-A won the CCS team title with 221.5 points, Half Moon Bay took second place with 170, and Alisal took third place with 142. A total of 60 teams were represented in the two-day tournament.

Langi goes gold for Mills

Last year, Mills’ Nena Langi settled for second place in the CCS championships at 189s, falling in the title match to Akinola.

For her senior season, Langi moved up to 235s and competed in four matches to take another shot at a CCS title Saturday, more than any other wrestler in the bracket.

Langi’s workload was rewarded in the championship match as she pinned Valley Christian junior Natalya Andre in the second round, executing a forearm-near ankle hold to finish it.

“The second round I knew she was tired and I had to take advantage of that,” Langi said. “So, I knew I had to finish it.”

Last season, Langi wrestled at 170s for most of the year before moving up to 189s for the postseason. This year, she finished a similar progression, moving up from 189s — where she won two tournament titles early in the year — to the heavyweight division. Once at 235s, she won the Prospect Kusumoto Klassic and worked her way up to a No. 3 ranking in CCS among heavyweights. Andre entered Saturday ranked No. 1.

“Once we put her into that heavyweight division … she pinned everyone in that first round,” Mills head coach Joel Avalos said. “Then we’ve just kept her there with heavyweights.”

EC senior takes 131s title

El Camino senior Mikaela Contreras took the championship at 131s, defeating Smith of M-A in a 4-0 decision. With it, Contreras earns a bid to the state tournament.

The top four wresters in each division earn state tournament bids. Nine other Peninsula Athletic League girls’ wrestlers qualified.

At 101s, Hillsdale senior Kristal Betanzo took second place; at 111s, El Camino senior Trinity Diokno took third; at 116s, Terra Nova junior Elis Carvalho took third; at 121s, Half Moon Bay freshman Taylor Micallef took third; at 137s, Half Moon Bay junior Esmerelda Mendez took fourth; at 143s, Half Moon Bay senior Daniela Corona took second; at 150s, Half Moon Bay freshman Phoebe Grabowski took second; at 160s, Half Moon Bay junior Elisa Mendez took third; and at 170s, Aragon junior Rina Smith took fourth.

Other PAL wrestlers to reach the podium: at 106s, HMB freshman Richi Campbell took sixth; at 143s, Oceana junior Kaileigh Willis took fifth; at 189s, HMB senior Maria Cuevas took fifth; and at 235s, San Mateo senior Ariel Hochhauser took sixth.